Here be jaguars

Posted by Bookfool (Mississippi, United States) on 5 June 2009 in Plant & Nature and Portfolio.

This is a view down to the floor of the rainforest in the Cloud Forest Preserve (I think that's right) near Monteverde, Costa Rica. Our guide said, "That strong smell is jaguar pee. The jaguars live below those leaves." We were a little taken aback. Jaguar pee? Really? Cool! Kiddo bought himself a jaguar t-shirt before we left the country. Nobody saw a jaguar, but the idea was enought to please us all. Those leaves are about 2-3 feet across. Huge leaves.

Comments (7)

grouser from Ludlow, United Kingdom

Wow they don't look it do they. I was looking at that and thinking Jaguars under there, what are they the size of Mice? You should have got hubby to drop down and give it a sense of scale.

5 Jun 2009 10:23am

@grouser: We were probably a good 20 meters above those leaves so, yeah, they don't look particularly large. I think we all were so excited at the thought that jaguars might be nearby that any one of us would have happily dropped down a rope. Call it jungle insanity.

Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada

Really? lol that's so cool and here I thought it was only superb greenery, bravo Booky lol

5 Jun 2009 10:24am

@Lorraine: Yep, really! Isn't that wild? And, thank you, Rainy. :)

peter from new york, United States

jaguar pee? hahahah. thats crazy how big those leaves are. and kinda glad you didn't encounter one face to face!

5 Jun 2009 4:06pm

@peter: Yeah, jaguar pee. It still makes me snicker. I don't think they were interested in greeting the tourists! Darn.

Earnest from Oklahoma, United States

That's quite an unbelievable size for leaves -- you can't really tell the scale in this picture of your'n.

5 Jun 2009 5:21pm

@Earnest: Yeah, you really can't. I live in subtropical territory and we grow things kind of huge, here, (6" leaves on the poison ivy, for example -- which means gaps between the leaves, so it's a little harder to tell they're leaves of three that we should let be) but not on the tropical scale. It's quite amazing.

Lesley from Lincoln, United States

Now, being the skeptic that I am, I would almost think the guide was pulling my leg. Good thing you didn't see any jaguars! While it would've been a great capture, it would also be quite terrifying!

7 Jun 2009 1:05pm

jamesy from christchurch, New Zealand

wow those are big leaves pleased that you gave us the size as I couldn't quite work out how a jaguar could hide under those little leaves!!!

9 Jun 2009 8:48pm

MrsAmber from West Wickham, United Kingdom

Jaguar Pee! Nice thought. Lovely shot. Huge Leaves!

15 Jun 2009 11:09am

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